You start by slicing fresh figs and layering them in the bottom of your pan with some brown sugar and butter. Then you mix up an easy, buttery batter and pour it right over the top. As it bakes, the figs turn jammy and when you flip the whole thing out, you get a glossy, golden fig cake that looks far fancier than it actually is.

Fig season can be brief and unpredictable, but when you spot those baskets at the market in the summer and fall, grab as many as you can. This cake comes together fast—perfect for getting the most out of the season. Read on for some ideas of ways to incorporate more flavor, or jump to the recipe to start baking.

[2025 update: This recipe was originally published in June of 2019 as an orange blossom fig upside-down cake, but I’ve since changed it to be more flexible, with lots of different options. There are instructions in the recipe for making the original.]

Fig cake ingredients and flavors

There are so many ways to get creative with this recipe. Here are a few of my favorites:

Other flavors you can incorporate into the cake

• Vanilla extract: This is a classic and cozy flavor that adds warmth without competing with the figs. Add a teaspoon or two and you won’t have to worry about your fig cake tasting plain, but it also won’t overshadow anything.
• Almond extract: Just a drop or two gives the cake a toasty, marzipan-like flavor. Use sparingly—almond extract and almond flavor are both pretty strong.
• Cinnamon and other warm spices: Try cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or even a pinch of ground cloves. These give this fig cake a spiced, almost autumnal feel.
• Orange blossom water: You can add up to 1 Tbsp orange blossom water in this recipe for a fragrant, floral note that’s not too overpowering.
• Rosewater: Use in place or alongside the orange blossom water for a more intense floral note. A little goes a long way, so try 1 tsp in the batter (maybe 2 if you really love the taste of rose). If you don’t add quite enough and are disappointed after baking, you can always drizzle a tiny bit over the top of the cake to compensate. You can add more, but you can’t take away.

Buttermilk instead of yogurt

I usually go for buttermilk in cases like this, but yogurt felt simpler. It’s probably already in your fridge and it gives the same moisture and tang. That way, when you do happen to find some figs at the market, you can go right home and bake this cake without having to make an extra stop. But if you do have buttermilk on hand, you can use an equal amount in place of the yogurt.

Fig cake (super easy showstopper)

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4.8 from 4 reviews

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the fig and brown sugar bottom:

• Butter for greasing the pan
• 4 Tbsp [57g] melted butter
• 1/2 cup [100g] light brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 10.5oz [300g] small fresh figs*

for the yogurt cake:

• 1 1/2 cups [200g] flour
• 1 1/4 tsp [5g] baking powder
• 1/4 tsp [1.5g] baking soda
• 1/2 tsp [3g] salt
• 2 large room temperature eggs
• 4 Tbsp [55g] melted and cooled butter
• 3/4 cup [150g] granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup [170g] plain yogurt**
• Additional flavorings (optional, see ideas above recipe)

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Instructions

1. To prep the fig and brown sugar bottom: Butter one 8-inch round cake pan. Cover the bottom with a parchment round.
2. Mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, and salt, and pour it over the parchment-covered cake pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the brown sugar out evenly over the bottom until it’s completely covered.
3. Slice the figs in half. Arrange the figs cut-side-down over the buttery brown sugar.
4. To bake the cake: Preheat the oven to 350° F convection (177° C).
5. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
6. Beat the eggs and butter together until they are very well incorporated. Then add the sugar, yogurt, and orange blossom water, and beat to combine well.
7. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture, and stir together just until everything is combined. It won’t be completely smooth, and there might be some tiny lumps; this is completely fine. Don’t over-mix!
8. Carefully pour the batter over the figs, smooth out the top a little bit with a spatula, and bake for about 30 minutes. It’s done once you can insert a toothpick into the center and batter doesn’t stick to it. It may take longer than 30 minutes to cook through, especially if your figs have a lot of moisture.
9. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the cake pan. Then trace around the edge with a butter knife to make sure it’s loosened from the pan. Place a plate or cake-stand upside-down over the cake. Put on your grippiest oven mitts, and hold the plate and cake together so that your thumbs are underneath the cake pan. Carefully and quickly rotate it away from yourself and give it a quick up-and-down shake to release the cake from the pan. Remove the pan, slice, and serve.

Notes

* If you can’t find small figs, you can use larger ones. Just make sure you cut them into about 1/2-inch slices instead of cutting them in half. To get the same look as these photos, slice the figs along their equators instead of stem to end.

** If you have Greek yogurt, you can substitute it here, but make sure you water it down before measuring (using either a little milk or water). It needs to be the approximate consistency of plain, unstrained yogurt (Greek yogurt doesn’t have as much moisture).

General note: this recipe used to be for orange blossom fig cake, but I’ve since changed it to be more flexible. It’s great with a lot of different options. If this has been a favorite of yours since the beginning, the original recipe called for 1 Tbsp orange blossom water, so feel free to use that, and it’ll be just like the old days.

Comments from before Jul 10 2025 are from the version of this recipe that included orange blossom water. Any newer comments are for this version. The difference between these versions is that the new version gives you more options. The rest of the ingredients in the cake recipe have not changed.